Heaven and Hell - The Devil You Know

May 10, 2009

Reviewer: Rottenbucher

The first full-length of new Black Sabbath material in well over a decade, Heaven and Hell's The Devil You Know is the most anticipated metal album of 2009. For those of you living under a rock, the Dio-era Black Sabbath reformed for 3 new tracks and an exhaustive world tour in 2007 / 2008.  Proving not only successful and ageless but that the stars still align when Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice share the stage, the band answered the overwhelming demand for a new album.  While The Devil You Know is very familiar, Heaven and Hell proves to not to be simply the same old Sabbath of past.

"Atom and Evil" find the lords of metal actually taking things to deeper depths with the sheer weight of the riffs.  Iommi and Butler haven't sounded this heavy since, in the very least, Cross Purposes.  But even then, this song is almost heavier and more doom-drenched than anything on the previous Dio and Ozzy eras.  The oppressive riffs continue with "Fear."  Perhaps a smidge more upbeat than the album opener, the riffs again liquefy skulls and lay down a serious level of doom never heard from these guys before. Dio proves his vocal prowess and delivers one of his best performances to date.

"Bible Black" changes the pace and tone, heralding a return to the classic Sabbath we all love and respect. The acoustic guitars and Geezer's bass create a great opening atmosphere before weaving sheets of awesome riffs.  Capturing a much more classic feel, the song easily will appeal to any self-respecting fan.  Dio's vocals are both angelic and snarled while Geezer proves to be the bands secret weapon with his walking and jam-friendly bass grooves.  Geezer keeps up the chops with the undulant opening of "Double the Pain."  Another blending of modern doom and classic Sabbath, this tale of marvelous misery simply owns.  The dense riff-fest will undoubtedly break necks and make younger bands like Crowbar and Candlemass shiver. Before things start to get too slow, the band kicks things into a different gear with "Rock and Roll Angel." The track sounds akin to the material Iommi's impressive Fused. Featuring more traditional riffs and a more relaxed, friendly atmosphere, Iommi steals the show with his bluesy and acoustic solos.  Over four decades in, this man proves he still is a trailblazer.

Both "The Turn of the Screw" and the fast-paced "Eating the Cannibals" find the band moving away from the oppressive doom of the album's initial tracks and continuing the mood on the previous track.  "...Screw" is commanded by Geezer and Vinny while Iommi and Dio dance around the groove while "Eating..." almost recaptures the glory of "Neon Knights" and "Turn up the Night."  The track is the fastest of the album is nearly 4-minutes of bliss.

The doom returns in a major way with "Follow the Tears."  Iommi's riffs easily registers on the Richter scale and Dio's voice sounds like a blessing and is the only glimmer of hope on this song. Believe it or not, this song is almost too heavy for Sabbath.  But the lightened middle section allows for the listener to breathe before being thankfully suffocated by Iommi and Geezer again. "Neverwhere" again lightens the mood and picks up the pace for radio-friendly moments but doesn't lay off the brilliance for one moment.   Closing the album, "Breaking into Heaven" continues the pounding doom and gloom. Dio howls while the band dishes out another crushing set of riffs.  But the song maintains an epic and atmospheric feel that hasn't graced any of the previous tracks and adds another dimension to the album.

The Devil You Know is solid gold. However, some folks might find this album bit too slow-paced and doom-drenched. This is what separates this disc from the band's previous albums (and incarnations) and may cause some fans to wonder how a reunion so heavenly can sound like it was drug up from the deepest bowls of hell. It is a bit unexpected at first but when compared to the new tracks on The Dio Years compilation it makes perfect sense.  While The Devil You Know will never replace the two classic Dio-era albums, it destroys Dehumanizer and it is incomparable to other Sabbath discs and the member's solo affairs. And instead of serving up a sequel to the aforementioned Dio-era album, the band openly embraces a doom metal like they never have before. It's damn near flawless and makes it hard to believe that a line-up that first came together nearly 30 years ago can still sound this inspired. It's not only an honor but a pleasure to know these devils.  May they continue to reign.

Release Date:  April 28th, 2009
Label: Rhino Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Atom & Evil
2.  Fear
3.  Bible Black
4.  Double the Pain
5.  Rock & Roll Angel
6.  The Turn of the Screw
7.  Eating the Cannibals
8.  Follow the Tears
9.  Neverwhere
10.  Breaking into Heaven

Total playing time: 54:52

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